"What river are you talking about?"

Rashid asked not understanding and the 'Mouse of Wonders' hated not understanding something

"The Styx, the greatest of rivers."

Hades replied.

"Don't immerse him, just give him some of your water."

Persephone warned Rashid who lifted Hades and teleported him to the river.

Hades drank some of the water and was not sure what should happen, since he never imagined that one day he would drink from this river. Suddenly he felt his throat burning, his heart racing and a strong pain all over his body.

"Hades!"

Rashid called out worriedly. After hearing the cry of pain, he saw him close his eyes suddenly.

When he opened his eyes again Hades saw the worst of visions, the whole world in chaos. It had no magic, no color, no life, it was as if everything was hades. He knew that not even Maleficent could go this far in destroying the Enchanted World.

"Time is running out Hades."

He heard someone speak through thick smoke.

"Moros?"

The Recognizer tried to approach, but could not move.

"Hades!"

Rashid shouted and only calmed down when he saw the blue hair on fire.

"We have to go, get some water hidden, the Beast will need it."

He stood up as if nothing had happened.

"Dad!"

Mal hugged him tighter than he realized.

"Hi." He didn't deny the hug, he enjoyed every second of it. "Thanks." He thanked Persephone who nodded briefly and disappeared.

"We need to go, there's an arrow missing."

Rashid reminded them.

"And this has to be quick, something tells me my little brother knows about you."

He imagined that going to hades would be risky.

"What are we waiting for? You know where every third arrow is, right?"

"Yes, but you need Ben to get it."

"Why?"

"I'll explain on the way, now let's go."

"Maleficent is still at the entrance and we need the boat."

"Go check if she's still there."

"Me?"

Rashid looked at them incredulously.

"Isn't that the strange creature that teleports?"

"Okay."

"I want to know the truth."

Mal said to his father after Rashid disappeared,

"What?"

"Why did you leave?"

"Okay."

He knew that while his version of the facts was real, it might sound fanciful, a thin justification for his leaving.

"She's not there, should we worry?"

Rashid suddenly appeared in front of them.

"With Maleficent? Always, but we can't waste time." Inside the boat, Rash was rowing as fast as he could. "When I was banished from here I asked my sister to see Moros and she let me." Hades began to explain the whole story. "That day he told me that I would be a father and that my daughter would change the fate of everyone." He said that the world of humans would collapse and only you would bring the balance back.

"How does that justify you going?"

"Nothing, Mal, nothing will justify it. Moros advised me to abandon you, but he said that in time I would see you again. You have to believe me when I tell you that leaving was the hardest decision of my life. Zeus couldn't know about you and with me around there was that risk. He had already destroyed your story once, I couldn't allow this to happen again."

"I understand."

No, she didn't understand and she didn't want to understand. They had delivered the world into the hands of a sixteen-year-old girl who just wants to have a normal life.

(...)

Auradon

Maleficent got up from the cave where she was thrown and returned home. She needed to understand what had happened, how had her daughter allied herself with the father who had abandoned her? How could Mal commit such a betrayal? It couldn't be her, but she felt the magic, only her daughter had magic so similar to her own. Hades had no right, he couldn't have attacked them, Mal shouldn't have. They managed to ignite an even greater anger in her heart. A greater war than what was already happening was to come. She didn't just want what she already had, now Olympus would be hers too.

(...)

Isle of the Lost

"Mal what are you doing here?"

Ben asked when he saw his girlfriend appear in front of him.

"We don't have time, give this here to him and go get ready junior beast."

Hades spoke handing the pot of water to Belle.

"What's this?"

Belle asked scared.

"Water from the Underworld. Rest assured it's to help the Beast. We're running out of time."

"Wait, calm down what's going on?"

"There's an arrow missing and it's in the temple of Eros." Rashid explained. "We know you wouldn't see how your father is doing, hence the water."

"Happy? Now go get ready." Hades sneered. "Damn!" Feeling a sharp pain in his chest, he slipped to the floor.

"Dad!"

"The water doesn't take effect as fast as I thought it would."

He complained feeling the pain worsen.

"You need to get completely better Hades, we can't leave with you in this state."

Rashid warned.

"Okay, technical stop for two hours and we'll be right back."

While waiting for his father to recover, Mal took the opportunity to go to his house, his old home. It was as it always was, just the way Maleficent said it was organized. She needed to save the world, but she couldn't save herself from this feeling of abandonment.

"Hi."

Ben walked into the house. She didn't know how he found out she was there, but she didn't deny him a hug when he came closer.

"How's your dad?"

As she absentmindedly looked around the house, Ben slipped his arms around her and rested his chin on her head.

"Fine, tired, but in view of what he was before, fine."

"Good."

"And you? How are you?"

"I think fine."

She said taking a deep breath and running her hands over his that were resting on his waist.

"I noticed you called Hade's dad, have we made any progress in the time you've been away?"

"I guess you could say that."

"What happened to the determined girl I met?"

"I don't know, if you find her let me know." She joked resting her head under his chest. "When did our biggest concern stop being a book that determines our lives, to become the salvation of the world?" She questioned hearing his laughter.

"That's your concern, mine is what I'm going to eat for dinner." He said, earning a light punch. "You don't have to worry so much, Mal."

"It's not as easy as it looks, Prince."

"It's been a while since I heard that nickname. Mal, this story was never about us, I may be part of it, but this story is about you. I don't know where you got that book or Cedric, but I'm sure they'd give me reason."

"'Stupid book'"

"Have you ever read a fairy tale?"

"Listen to the stories my mother tells?"

"You know what all fairy tales have in common? They all have a happy ending."

Mal looked at him briefly. He was always so positive, always believing that things would turn out okay at some point. Although, her belief was different from his, sometimes she felt influenced by such faith.

"Ben, after we pass the barrier, a lot will change."

He spoke, since, there was only one arrow left and he already knew what he would do.

"Why do you say that?"

Mal didn't answer, she watched him and stood on her tiptoes and gave him a kiss. Ben didn't understand, but he didn't deny the kiss either. He knew there was something wrong with Mal, but he wasn't going to ask now.

(...)

Auradon

"Mistress, we found this."

The servant handed her a book with all the myths surrounding Mount Olympus

Maleficent took the paper reading as fast as she could. The Queen's attention stayed on the myth of the three arrows. She had never seen anything so powerful. Even her magic had its limits, but it seemed that this magic was beyond the test of time.

"Search over the Temple of Eros, now!"